Power. Who's got it? What is it? How is it used? Those are the questions that the
editorial staff of Washington CEO
magazine sought to answer when they asked their readership to vote for the most influential people in Washington state. Named
to the "Top 100 People of Power" list published in the March 2002 issue were business
leaders, television and sports personalities, artists, politicians, philanthropists,
scientists and educators, including Seattle Pacific University President Philip Eaton.

In all, 2,300 readers were polled. They voted for men and women from a list of
approximately 300 people compiled by the magazine's editorial staff. In the magazine,
Eaton was described as the president of a Free Methodist institution that has "actively
sought out interaction with business leaders," a reference to his ongoing personal
efforts to "engage the culture" by reaching out into the community. SPU's record
enrollments and successful building campaigns were also cited as evidence of the
president's institutional leadership.